CORNISH: That's coach Eric Taylor and his football team, in the TV show "Friday Night Lights."

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Whenever the going got tough, the hero - played by Kyle Chandler - would rally his boys in the locker room with those words; a motto for the football field, and for life.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SERIES, "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS")

(CHEERS)

CORNISH: The TV show, which ended last year, had a small but extremely passionate following, which includes Mitt and Ann Romney. In the past week, the Republican candidate has repeated that slogan - with his own twist.

ROMNEY: This is something that we share, in this country - men and women of clear eyes and full hearts, and America can't lose.

(CHEERS)

DAVID AXELROD: It doesn't surprise me that he's drawing inspiration from fiction because almost everything he's doing, right now, is a fiction.

SIEGEL: That's the response we got from David Axelrod, one of President Obama's top campaign advisers. Axelrod does, however, agree with Mitt Romney that "Friday Night Lights" is a very good show.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

CORNISH: So where did all this come from? Before last week's debate, Romney was waiting in a locker room at the University of Denver. His aides put up a poster there, with the slogan.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

CORNISH: And just as in the TV show, Romney tapped it as he passed by, heading out into the glare of the Wednesday night lights, to score some touchdowns.